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Sunday, 4 October 2015

Jim's column 3.10.2015

How predictable that
Leon Clarke should score for Bury against the Sky Blues at Gigg Lane
last week. Once again, the immutable law of the ex, as the famous
football writer Brian Glanville described it, struck, to consign City
to a defeat they scarcely deserved on their second half performance.

Clarke went one better
than most ex-players and scored twice, the second from a contentious
penalty. He became the first former City player to score twice in a
game against us since 1983 when Steve Whitton of West Ham scored a
pair in a 5-2 hammering at Upton Park in what was his first game
against his old club since his move that summer.

I can find two other
instances of a former player scoring two. In 1973 in a League Cup tie
at Bristol City's Ashton Gate Bobby Gould scored both goals in a 2-2
draw. Prior to that John Tudor netted two for Newcastle in a 4-2 win
over the Sky Blues in early 1972. Tudor was never a prolific scorer
but was a wonderful foil for Malcolm Macdonald who seemed able to
score at will against Coventry in that era.

Back in those days
there were far fewer instances of former players scoring against
their old clubs – players just didn't move around as much – but
Ronnie Rees scored for both Nottingham Forest & West Brom, after
leaving us in 1968. The best ever effort by an 'ex' though was
probably the famous England test cricketer Patsy Hendren. He left
City in 1911 after a brief career but came back to haunt us fifteen
years later as a veteran of 37 playing for Brentford. In a 7-3
thumping at Griffin Park Patsy helped himself to four goals in what
was his final season as a player.

Jim McIlwaine sent me
an interesting article in the summer about former City youth player
John Matthews. The article states that John is regarding as one of
the greatest players ever to play in the League of Ireland. After
joining Waterford from the Sky Blues in 1966 he won seven
championship medals (six with Waterford and one with Limerick)
scoring 156 goals as a left-winger. Jim wondered if I had any more
information on John and his father Horace who played for the club in
the 1940s.

Horace Matthews (born 1913) was well known in
local league football before he joined City in 1945. He was a member
of a strong AWA Baginton side and was a logical signing when the club
had so many players away in the services towards the end of World War
2. He played five games at outside left in the transitional season of
1945-46, scoring one goal – in a 3-1 home win over Fulham. His only
officially recognised games were in the two-leg FA Cup third round
ties with Aston Villa in January 1946 which City lost 2-3 on
aggregate. I believe that in 1946 he returned to playing in local
soccer. I wonder if Horace is in the picture of AWA Baginton's team
from 1942-43. Please let me know if you can spot him.

Horace's son John joined City after being spotted
playing for GEC and was in the same youth team as Mick Coop and Pat
Morrissey. In 1966 Jimmy Hill was approached by Mick Lynch, the
manager of Waterford, seeking a young player on loan. JH agreed for
young John, who would have probably been released that summer, to go
over for six weeks to gain some experience and in his first seven
games he helped them clinch their first ever League of Ireland
championship. John signed permanently for the club soon afterwards
and the club won five more titles over the next six seasons and
played in the European Cup against such sides as Manchester United
and Celtic. After retiring Johnny, as he became known in Ireland,
managed Limerick & Waterford United as well as becoming a referee
& TV pundit.

Ron Dickinson was interested in my recent column
regarding penalty takers where I pointed out the excellent record
from the spot by Ronnie Farmer (1 miss from 23 attempts) and Gary
McAllister (I miss from 16). Ron's memory goes further back – to
Norman Lockhart, who played for the club from 1947-52 and was the
regular penalty taker during that time. I checked the records and
discovered Norman's record was 14 successful penalties from 17
attempts. The other great penalty taker for the club was Brian
Kilcline. Killer's record doesn't match Farmer & McAllister but
he did net 19 spot-kicks while missing five.

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About Me

I have supported Coventry City FC since my first visit to Highfield Road in 1962. I am the club's official historian and have a regular column in the Coventry Telegraph. Here I would like to enable my readers who can't buy the paper to access my columns and comment.